Destination: Savannah, GA
Date: July 2015
Hotel: Hampton Inn
Brand: Hilton
Status: Blue
# of travelers: 4
nights: 1
Hotel & Brand: Making the Decision
Towards the end of May, I became informed that my brother would be moving from his home in Statesboro, GA to another as he and his lady-love prepared for the biggest event in their life to date – the birth of their first son! Originally I was informed that this move would be taking place the first weekend in June, but soon after that date was revised to the first weekend in July – Independence Day weekend. Because of my desire to see fireworks and explore a city that I had been to only once before, Justin and I convinced my family to do a mini-vacation in Savannah whilst moving my brother.
Before booking the hotels, Justin and I had to confirm and then confirm again how many people we would be booking for. Was it 4? Or 6? Finally, around mid-June, it was time to book. First I scoured the area closest to the river for the hotel brands I had elite status with: IHG and Club Carlson. I wanted the elite credit, but I also wanted to make sure we were close to where the firework show would take place. As most Americans know, finding a place before a firework show and then dealing with the traffic afterward can be pretty awful on Independence Day weekend.
My search for IHG and Club Carlson hotels proved to unsuccessful. The closest IHG hotels were already sold out, and I couldn't find any Club Carlson hotels. There was a Marriott hotel nearby which I quickly decided against since I don't really like Marriotts. Next up? A choice between a Hyatt and the Hampton Inn. I ended up going with the cheaper of the two. Plus, the Hampton Inn offered breakfast and unlimited coffee which I knew Justin would take advantage of.
Getting There, Parking, The Lobby, & Checking-In
The previous night, on July 3rd, we had been staying at a house on Tybee Island through Home Away, so it wasn't like we were having to drive in from Atlanta. Rather, instead, we experienced a lovely familial breakfast on Tybee Island, took a long walk on the beach, grocery shopped at Sam's Club and drove the hour out to Statesboro to help R and S (or at least that's what I'm calling them from this point forward) get settled in to their new abode. By the time we were headed back to Savannah, it was already nearly 4PM. We drove straight to the hotel, unloaded, and paid the $20 valet parking fee for each of our two vehicles. While I'm not sure what the rate was for the holiday weekend at the downtown parking, Justin and I decided to simply go along with the high fee so that we could enjoy what was left of our 24 hours in Savannah. Clearly if you have time and are not visiting on a holiday weekend, explore the city to find the best parking rates for your vehicle. My brother claims that there is a parking garage that costs $5 a day nearby.
The lobby of the Hampton Inn was gorgeous, and the front desk staff were quick to welcome us and find a room suitable to our needs. As I ran out of the hotel to tell R and S that Justin and I had paid for their parking, I missed the front desk staff sharing with Justin that there was fruit and coffee available in the lobby for free, breakfast would be made available for us the following morning, and she gave him the log-in information for the internet as well as 2 bottles of water for the stay. Justin and I were definitely left with a good impression of the hotel right from the start! :)
Room & View
Honestly by the time we got to our room, I was exhausted (from a lack of good sleep the night before) and my shoulder hurt from carrying so many bags (read: mine, Justin's, my camera bag, and tripod bag). In other words, I threw the bags down and went to the restroom before taking our newest home away from home in. (TMI?) Note that I wasn't the only one to feel this way – we were all tired from lack of sleep, moving, and not eating most of the day. Drained would be a good word to explain how we were feeling.
Nevertheless, when I finally found the energy to consider the room, we received a phone call asking what we thought about the room. "Umm… it's fine?" I'm pretty sure I said. What did they expect me to say?! I guess it was nice that the front desk staff wanted to check on us…
Anyway, someone opened the blinds to a disgusting view of a building right next to us. We hadn't paid for a room with a view, but still … it was like really? The least they could have done was paint that dirty wall with rainbows and unicorns! Ok - not really! We'll just leave it at the view wasn't great.
As for the room itself, it was rather large, but not surprisingly so. We had a mini fridge and microwave available to us along with soaps and a hair dryer in the bathroom. The beds were soft and cushiony. My dad even checked to make sure the tv was working while the rest of us rolled our eyes in protest. (You go on vacation to watch tv?!) Even the bathroom was a decent size!
Disability Access & Pool
There was nothing in particular that stood out in the hotel as being not disability friendly especially if you were situated on the first floor. On the other hand, the city itself we found to be pretty disability unfriendly with many, many steps and cobblestone walkways. The street crossing signs were nice and loud though to prevent people from walking out in the street when they shouldn't.
One of the main reasons I had decided on this particular hotel was the rooftop access where the pool was situated. Despite the fact the rain had been pouring down earlier, it cleared just in time for Justin and I to make our way up to the rooftop and claim the very last spot on the edge of the roof to see the fireworks. We got up there approximately 45 minutes before they started and by the time the show was going full force, the hotel had to stop people from going out onto the rooftop. It was too full for fire safety codes. While I don't know how well others that weren't standing on the edge could see the fireworks, we had a pretty good view; if you are intending on coming here for any type of Savannah fireworks display and you get to the rooftop early, you should be fine. :)
As for the pool itself? It's open early and closes late (7AM-10PM) which makes it a perfect location for taking in a sunrise (at the right time of year) or sunset. During the middle of the day, however, I imagine that the rooftop gets pretty hot. There are plenty of seats and the hotel staff constantly brings towels up there, so you should be covered for those needs, but don't expect to be able to purchase drinks like you might be able to if you were staying at the beach. This is definitely a pool more for exercising than recreational beach goers. It is a pretty small pool, and is fantastic if you just want to take a dip or sit with your feet in it. It's also probably good for families with children.
Hotel Property & Free Breakfast
The rest of the property, open to the public, seemed to be centered around the lobby and was really only available for use during the breakfast hours. The breakfast bar contained the typical hotel fare (eggs, sausage, biscuits, bread for toast, bagels, cereal, yogurt with sugar, oatmeal, waffles, apples, and bananas). Perhaps for the special holiday (?) they also pulled out patriotic donuts (donuts with chocolate icing and red, white, and blue sprinkles) as well as a strawberry/blueberry concoction that could be eaten on the side or on top of waffles with whipped cream. The drinks included hot teas, hot coffees, hot chocolate, orange juice, milk, water, and cranberry cocktail. I enjoyed the super sweet breakfast foods that seemed more like dessert than breakfast (read: waffle fruit concoction I mentioned as well as a donut and oatmeal) while Justin chose healthier options (nasty eggs, gross sausage, and raspberry yogurt).
Location & Checking Out
One of the best aspects of the entire experience at this hotel was the location. A full two hours before my parents were up and ready to explore Savannah, Justin and I had already walked a good ways exploring the city and taking in at least 10 of the 20 squares located in Savannah. We got to enjoy the city before many were awake and active. Plus, the hotel seemed to be in the center of it all!
Rather than leave immediately after my parents had awakened, we asked for some extra time and the hotel granted us an extra hour which we used to productively explore antique and book stores as well as buy macarons (review to come!) and pralines (which we intend on making ice cream with)! Woo!
Finally, at check out time, we mentioned that the air conditioning unit in our room wasn't working quite right, so the hotel offered to cover our parking for the stay! Wow! I would definitely say that the service at this Hampton Inn went above and beyond to meet our needs and make our stay as pleasant as possible. Because of that alone, I would definitely consider staying here again!
Price
As for price though, the Hampton Inn was a bit on the expensive side, perhaps because of the holiday weekend but also most likely due to it's location and amenities. Be sure to check out the IHG if you are looking for a cheaper hotel in the same area.
Overall Review
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| Fireworks over the river |
★★★ (average)
While the hotel staff definitely stood out as amazing and the property (on the whole, not necessarily the view from our room) was gorgeous, nothing in particular made this hotel a hotel I would have to return to during any other trip to Savannah. The beds were very comfortable, the breakfast (aside from being terrible for me) was delicious, and the location was absolutely perfect. It did take the valet a good half hour to get our car after we checked out, but in his defense someone had moved it and not marked where it was within the garage. (The valet staff really ought to work on that.) It was nice that the front desk was willing to accept responsibility for the things that went wrong during our stay and compensate us for it to make the visit more worthwhile and leave us with a good image of the hotel. Finally, and most importantly, this was definitely an ideal place to stay for the July 4th firework celebration in Savannah should you ever need one.
Your Turn
Have you ever been to the Hampton Inn in the historic district of Savannah? Would you consider going?
